The World We Once Knew
by melissaisurmom
Summary: A virus has wiped out over 90% of the human population worldwide. That was three years ago. This is the story of how or favorite characters are coping, rebuilding and moving forward. And of course, what would a Spashly story be without a little romance :) please rate and review!


**A/N- New story :) my first time writing something like this so let me know if you guys like it and want to read more!**

**Chapter one**

"Come on Spence, I'm starving and we're on duty in fifteen minutes, let's go!"

I look over from where I'm standing, doing a final check of my guns, to my best friend Chelsea who is standing in my doorway, looking at me impatiently. I roll my eyes and finish up.

"Jeeze Chels, I'm coming you heffer," I say laughing. I swear that woman is a bottomless pit.

I follow Chelsea out my front door and we head towards the community center to grab some food. We walk in and go towards the back and I feel my stomach rumble. I guess I'm a little hungry myself. We step into the kitchen area and my dad, Arthur, is standing over the cooking pit, stirring a huge pot of something while Donna and Kellan look busy at the prep table.

"Mmm, smells good Mr.C, what's for breakfast?" Chelsea asks with a smile.

"We're having oatmeal with strawberries from the garden and some bear sausage," he replied.

"Oh yum!" I said excitedly, "we haven't had bear sausage in forever!"

"I know, yesterday was the first bear that Darren and the girls have caught in a few months," he said as he reached over to grab Chelsea and me some bowls. He put a heaping spoonful of oatmeal in each bowl and a couple sausages on the side. He handed the bowls to Donna who held them out to Kellan. He scooped some strawberries into each bowl and then Donna handed them to us with a smile. I really like Donna, she's kind of taken on the mother role around here and is as sweet as they come. She is a very pretty brunette in her forties and has an 18 year old daughter, Megan. Megan does security like me and Chelsea. Donna and Megan turned up here about a year and a half ago.

I guess I should explain where "here" is. Well first I'll tell you a little about how we got here.

So, about three years ago, there was a world wide outbreak of an unknown virus. It's now called the Bothell virus because it originated in a city in Washington called Bothell. We still don't know much about it, just that once your infected, you're dead in 24 hours. When we came up here, less than two months from the initial infections, the virus had already wiped out 80% of the human population. Here, is my family's lake property. By the time we headed up here, the world was in chaos. We commandeered a few trucks, raided some places on the way here, and set up camp. Initially it was me, my dad, my uncle Darren, my brother Glenn, my best friend Chelsea, my neighbors Nick and Evan and their daughter Sidda, who was ten at the time, Evan's brother Kellan and his son max who was still in diapers. Over the last three years we've gained a few others. Emily, Her friend Madison and Emily's daughter, Rowan showed up about a year after we got here. They were hungry and wandering so we took them in. About six months later, a few of us were out hunting and we're ambushed by a gang three times as big as ours. Out of nowhere, Donna and Megan show up, guns a blazin, and pretty much saved our lives. They came back with us and have been part of the family ever since. That was the last time anyone new showed up. In the first year, we took many trips into town to raid. We raided everything since the town was vacated and managed to basically clear out a Lowe's and a Wal-Mart. We spent that year building 20 small, two room "houses", a much larger community center, for meals and just getting together, a look out tower, a bath house, two outhouses and a large storage building. It took a lot of work but we've managed to turn our lake property into a small community. Since then we've added the smoke house and a small medical building. The property backs up to woods and the lake is full of fish so the hunting and fishing is plentiful enough to keep us well fed. We also have a nice garden now where Donna and Kellan grow us lots of delicious fruits and veggies. The lake is a perfect water source for drinking, bathing, ect. Everyone has a job in the community and we all do our part. So given the circumstances, we are all pretty happy with the life we've rebuilt.

"Thanks guys," I said as I grabbed a couple spoons.

"Yeah thanks," Chelsea said, "we'll see you guys after our shift." She gave Kellan a shy smile, which he returned.

We walked out of the center, food in hand, and headed for the security tower. Unfortunately, breakfast starts at 8, when our morning shift starts, so we always get ours on the go. Luckily we're free to eat lunch and dinner with everyone else since our night shift isn't until 8 at night. We say good morning to everyone as they all head to the center to eat.

"Hey 'pencer, you till going to teach me how to swim today?" Max said excitedly as he ran up to me.

"Of course buddy," I replied to the bouncing four year old, "as soon as we're done with the after lunch water haul, I'm all yours!"

"Yay!" He yelled as he ran to catch up with the others.

Max is a seriously adorable kid. He has a wild tangle of black curls hanging to his chin that he refuses to cut, bright green eyes and the cutest dimple on his right cheek. He's always full of energy and keeps everyone smiling. His dad, Kellan, looks just like him except, well, bigger. He is a very good looking guy. If you're into that sort of thing. Which I'm not. Anyway, Kellan helps Donna do the gardening and they, along with my dad, do the cooking. Kellan lost his wife to the virus so him and max joined us when we fled to the lake. He's a really great dad and a sweet guy. I think he and Chelsea might have something going on..there have been some looks and lingering touches that have not gone unnoticed by yours truly. I'm definitely going to ask her about it on duty today.

We climb the stairs to the top of the security tower and Darren and Emily are at the top waiting to go.

"Morning," I said cheerfully.

Darren nodded at us with a smile as he walked past us, "morning girls, have a good shift."

"Mmm that looks so good, I'm so hungry!" Emily exclaimed trying to steal a strawberry out of Chelsea's bowl.

"Hey!" Chelsea yelled smacking her hand away, "get your own!"

I laughed as I walked to my chair on the north side of the tower, facing the lake. "You know how Chelsea is about her food Em, you should have known better," I called over my shoulder.

"I know, what was I thinking," she laughed, taking off down the stairs, "I'll see you guys later!"

Chelsea took her seat and we both ate quietly, keeping an eye always on the perimeter of the property. After I knew she was done eating, I decided to ask her about Kellan.

"So, Chels, what's up with you and Kellan lately?" I ask trying to sound casual.

She turns and looks at me quickly and I see a blush across her brown cheeks.

"Um, I uh n-nothing," she stammered, "what do you mean, why would you think something's going on?"

I laughed, "well first of all, your response just now was a pretty good indicator. Not to mention your red ass face everytime his name comes up."

She put her face in her hands embarrassed. "He might have kissed me yesterday when I was out helping him gather blackberries," she said, Peeking at me through her fingers.

"Oh my god! Tell me everything!" I exclaimed excitedly. I may be twenty two years old but sometimes Chels and I bring out the sixteen year old in each other.

We sat there talking and before I knew it, Nick and Evan were walking up the stairs to relieve us.

"Hey guys,"Evan and Nick say at the same time. They look at each other and smile adorabley. They are a great couple. Been together for almost twenty years, since they were sixteen, and are still just as in love as they were in high school. They have one of those "once in a lifetime loves. I would love to have one of those but I'd say since probably 99% of the world is now dead, and I haven't seen another lesbian in three years, my chances aren't looking too good.

"How was your shift girls?" Nick asked, sitting in Chelsea's now vacant seat.

"Quiet as usual," I reply, taking off down the stairs. I really had to pee. "I gotta pee Chels," I call behind me. I hear her laughing and I jump the last three stairs. Hey, I've been on duty for four hours, I _really _had to pee.

I came out of the out house, feeling much better, and looked around for Madison. I didn't see her anywhere outside so I headed over to her house.

"Hey Spence," my brother Glen walked up to me.

"What's up Glen, where's the kids at?" I questioned. Glen handles most of the schooling since he was about to get his teaching degree when everything happened. He does great. Rowan and max go to school with him from 10 to 1245 every Monday through Friday.

"They're with Kellan in the garden for the last hour today," he replied.

"Have you by chance seen Maddie?" I asked.

"Yeah she's out on a hunt with Darren," he answered, "should be back soon."

DING DING

"What the hell?" Glen said as we both looked towards the ringing coming from the security tower.

"Two rings means everyone to the tower, let's see what's up," I replied with a shrug.

As we walked towards the tower I saw Darren, Madison and Emily returning from their hunt. Madison and Emily had a man walking between them and it looked like he was leaving on them for support and they were helping him walk. Darren was carrying a girl. She was small and her face was against his shoulder so I couldn't get a good look at her. You could hear the camp buzzing, everyone wondering who the newcomers were. They all walked up to the tower and the rest of us gathered around them. Darren spoke first.

"Everyone, this is Aiden," he said nodding his head towards the guy between maddie and Emily. He didn't look like he was in the best condition but you could tell he was pretty attractive and his green eyes sparkled as he gave the group a small wave and smile. "And this is Ashley," he said, referring to the girl in his arms. At the sound of her name, the girl lifted her head to look at the rest of us. When her eyes met mine, I felt my breath catch in my throat. Her face was sunken in a bit and you could tell she hadn't had a decent meal in who knows how long but my god was she beautiful. I smiled at her and she returned it with a tiny, shy smile of her own.

"Their camp was raided a few months ago and they believe they were the only survivors," Darren continued, "They've been wandering since then and aren't in the best shape. We're going to get them fed and checked out at the medical building and we'll meet at the center at four to discuss if we want them to join us." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alright well you guys follow me to the medical building, and I'll get them checked out and then you can go grab them some food Maddie," I said, my eyes still on the girl. I reluctantly pulled my eyes away and heading off, the hunting party and the newcomers right behind me.

I walked into the medical building and quickly grabbed a clean sheet and covered the bed so Ashley could be laid down. Luckily we raided a hospital and had a pretty nice medical set up with tons of supplies and a fair amount of equipment. I started to gather things to do a basic exam of both of them as Ashley was placed on the bed and the girls lowered Aiden into one of the chairs. Maddie immediately took off to get some food. I looked over at Ashley and she looked so frail and small.

"Hi Ashley, I'm Spencer, you mind if I check you out?" I asked as I walked up to the bed.

"No that's fine," she responded timidly.

I smiled at her then placed a stethoscope to her chest. Her pulse was a little fast but strong. I checked her eyes, ears, nose and throat. All looked fine.

"Ok Ashley I'm going to lift up your shirt and feel around your stomach ok?" I said to Ashley. Her eyes darted to Darren and she looked scared. "I'll only lift it up a little, you'll stay covered I promise," I said trying to put her at ease, she was obviously modest. She nodded slightly and I slowly lifted her shirt to below her breasts. I immediately noticed a slight pooch and her small belly was slightly rounded. I pressed lightly and her belly was hard.

"Ashley, is there a chance you're pregnant by chance?" I asked curiously.

Her eyes went wide and then she started slowly shaking her head.

"No, no, no, please no," she said quietly, "I can't..I just..oh god please no." She broke down sobbing.

I looked at Aiden confused and he lowered his head with a sigh. I tuned to walk over to him and I felt something grasp my arm tightly. It was Ashley.

"Where are you going, please don't leave me!" She said, the look in her eyes scared and frantic. It broke my heart.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'm just going to talk to Aiden real quick and give him a quick checkup," I reassured her grabbing her hand and running my thumb across her knuckles a couple of times." She nodded and relaxed a bit and a let go of her hand with a final squeeze and walked across the room to Aiden.

I checked him out and besides being malnourished and dehydrated and in need of a bath, he was alright.

"So do you want to tell me a little about how you came to be here?" I asked Aiden. I glanced back at Ashley and she was turning her back to us to lay facing the wall. I heard Aiden sigh and looked back at him. He was looking at Ashley's back sadly.

He looked back at me.

"Well it happened about three months ago," he started, "I was walking back from the pond we used to fish at. I had been gone a couple hours and was bringing home a few fish for dinner. As I was getting closer to camp, I heard a man yelling. The voice wasn't familiar. I heard him yell "finish up and take care of her then catch up." Aidens voice broke and he stopped talking for a second and composed himself.

"I looked out from behind the tree I had jumped behind when I heard the voice and saw about twelve men walking away from camp." He continued,"I was waiting for them to get out of sight but then I heard a scream. I knew it was Ashley. The men didn't even look back. I ran to camp and when I got there I saw the bodies of six of my friends. I heard another scream and ran towards it. When I got there, there was a man, pulling himself up off of Ashley. She was crying and there was blood. I saw red. I grabbed my knife and and went after him. I didn't stop until he wasn't breathing. We grabbed all we could carry and have been traveling ever since."

I heard Ashley quietly crying from the bed.

"And now I guess she's pregnant," he said quietly looking at the ground.

"Well that definitely explains her reaction," I replied sympathetically.

"What makes it even worse...Ashley is...well, Ashley is gay. She had never slept with a man until she was forced to."

"Jesus," I whispered.

Ashley choked out a loud sob. I turned and went to the bed and placed my hand on her shoulder. She stiffened under my touch and her head spun around. I felt her relax when she saw it was me.

"Foods here," Madison called walking in with two plates of food," we've got venison, rice and fruit salad." Rowan walked in behind her with two cups of water.

I heard Ashley's stomach rumble. She smiled embarrassed.

"Here let me help you sit up," I said gently. I helped her up then turned to grab her plate for her. Aiden was already digging into his food hungrily.

They both ate and Madison took the plates away.

"Thank you so much, that was the best thing I've eaten in a really long time, Ashley said with a smile, "I can't tell you how much it means that you all are treating us so well."

I turned the smile. "I've got to say, it's nice to see some fresh faces," I replied, "especially one as pretty as yours." Holy boldness! Where the hell did that come from? She blushed and I'm sure my face mirrored hers in color.

"Well, thank you...for everything," she responded sincerely.

She smiled at me, and for the first time it reached her eyes. Her nose crinkled and I just about melted right there. Oh boy. I think I'm in trouble.


End file.
